This invention relates to a shower system having a level entry.
Level entry showers are well-known. They are a necessity for many disabled people and a luxury fixture for others. Generally, shower trays either incorporate a ramp into the design or are recessed into the floor such that a wheelchair or bath chair within the showering area is essentially level with the adjacent floor surface.
It has previously been proposed to provide a shower tray for a disabled person that has a tray and a removable cover plate supported above the tray on which the wheelchair stands during showering. Run-off water passes through holes in the cover plate and is conducted towards a waste water outlet by the tray. This is not ideal due to the size, strength, and durability required for the cover plate, making the cover plate heavy and thus difficult to remove for cleaning the tray.
Other shower trays for level entry showers incorporate a raised central portion and a wastewater channel for directing the runoff to a drain. These may be difficult to properly clean and also potentially difficult to install due to the location of the drain toward the outside edge of the shower tray. Still other shower trays comprise curbs around the exterior of the tray, which increases the difficulty and expense of installation as ramps have to be incorporated. Shower trays having no curb or barrier on the entry side are also known, but those often do not provide sufficient slope to ensure proper drainage without the use of some other means to prevent the wastewater from escaping the area.
Additionally, there have been a number of installation issues in the currently known drain assemblies for level entry shower systems. These systems comprise parts that are difficult to correctly install or require the investment of a significant amount of time for installation.
Those offering the sale and/or installation of known systems generally must stock several different shower pan sizes in order to accommodate the wide range of shower sizes.
Embodiments of the present invention seek to overcome some or all of these problems by providing a curbless, stepped shower tray appropriate for a wide range of shower sizes and an easy to install drain assembly.